Guide
Do I Need a Building Permit in Victoria?
When Victorian building work needs a building permit, what Schedule 3 can exempt, and how to check before you start.
If you are about to start building work in Victoria, the first question is usually: do I need a building permit? As registered building surveyors in North East Victoria, NEBA answers that question every week for homeowners, owner builders and trades across Euroa, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Benalla, Mansfield and surrounds.
The short answer
Most building work in Victoria does need a building permit issued by a registered building surveyor. A smaller group of works is exempt under Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations 2018 (made under the Building Act 1993). If your project is not clearly exempt, assume you need a permit and check before you dig, demolish or pour.
What usually needs a building permit
- New houses and major extensions
- Attached verandahs, decks and many carports
- Garages and sheds that do not meet Schedule 3 size and siting limits
- Structural alterations, including removing or altering load-bearing walls
- Swimming pools, spas and pool barriers
- Change of use or building class in many cases
- Restrospective approval pathways for work started or finished without a permit
See also our guides on sheds, verandahs, carports and decks, and pool and spa compliance.
What Schedule 3 can exempt
Schedule 3 lists specific building work that does not require a building permit when every listed condition is met. Common examples include certain small freestanding Class 10a sheds (see our shed guide for the 10 m² / 3 m / 2.4 m near-boundary figures) and some pergola-style structures under item 16. Exemptions are narrow. Exceed one limit and the exemption fails.
Even when a building permit is not required, other rules can still apply: planning overlays, covenants, easements, bushfire requirements, and occupational health and safety duties. A Schedule 3 exemption is not a free pass from every approval.
Planning permit vs building permit
A planning permit (if required) comes from council and deals with land use and amenity. A building permit comes from a registered building surveyor and confirms the work meets the Building Act, Regulations and National Construction Code. Many projects need both. Some need only a building permit. Mansfield Shire, for example, does not issue building permits at all; you must appoint a private surveyor such as NEBA.
How to check before you start
- Describe the work: size, height, attachment to the house, distance to boundaries.
- Check whether a planning permit or report and consent is needed for your site.
- Compare the work to Schedule 3. If anything is unclear, ask a surveyor.
- If a building permit is required, appoint your relevant building surveyor and lodge Form 1 with drawings.
Starting without a required permit can lead to a building notice or building order, costly rectification, and problems when you sell. If work has already started, read our illegal building works page and contact us early.
Talk to NEBA
North East Building Approvals (NEBA Group Pty Ltd) is based at 6 Binney Street, Euroa. We issue building permits and carry out mandatory inspections across North East Victoria and Southern NSW. Send your plans via the contact form, or call Darren on 0427 272 720.